Human Love Research Articles

Love Through Patience: A Contribution to the Kierkegaardian Discussion on the Spiritual Nature of Love Relationships

This paper seeks to make a modest contribution to the ongoing Kierkegaardian discussion concerning the spiritual nature of love relationships, particularly those involving romantic elements. It introduces patience as a key element in understanding the love of the spirit, diverging from perspectives commonly found in recent Anglophone Kierkegaardian literature. Since, in Kierkegaard’s works, the spirit is conceived as an intermediary being positioned between time and eternity, I argue that the spirit’s love must be approached through patience, which is the concrete space where time and eternity intertwine. The argument unfolds in three steps: first, I present Kierkegaard’s understanding of human love as a work, highlighting the significance of the neighbor, which refers to the mode of loving rather than the object of love; second, I outline the challenges inherent in Kierkegaard’s conception of love and propose an approach that emphasizes the dialectic between transcendence and immanence; third, I argue that patience is the concrete means by which this dialectic unfolds within the individual’s existence.

Ottoman Foundations in Chios

Chios Island is one of the important islands located in the Sea of Islands. It remained under Ottoman rule for approximately 347 years from 1566 to 1913. While the Ottomans established their own administration here after the conquest, they also brought the traditional Turkish-Islamic culture to the island. The elements of this culture, such as love for humanity, respect for differences, peace, tolerance and sacrifice, were brought to the island through foundations. While the foundations ensured the continuation of the Turkish presence here with the mosques, mescits, dervish lodges and zawiyas they established, they played a certain role in the economic and commercial life of the island with structures such as inns, shops, bazaars, plots of land and mills. Foundations were established by both members of the Ottoman dynasty and statesmen. Knowing these will make it possible to make a more accurate assessment of the Ottoman administration on the island. The Ottomans created many architectural and cultural works on this island. Among these are many mosques, masjids, fountains, public fountains, baths, lodges and zawiyas. Some of these are the Hamidiye Mosque, Bayraktar Mosque, Piyale Pasha Mosque, Misirlizade Ibrahim Pasha Mosque and Foundation, Salih Pasha Mosque and Madrasah, Melek Mehmet Pasha Fountain and Laleli Mosque. According to state records from 1894, there were nine mosques, two madrasahs, three lodges, ninety-eight churches, one monastery, two synagogues, two baths and eighteen fountains on the island. Today, there are eight mosques, one masjid, one lodge, three baths, one fountain and one inn in Chios as Ottoman works. Some of these will be discussed in this study.

THE MORAL DIMENSION REFLECTED IN THE SONGS TOMORROW AND WHALIEN 52 BY BTS

Music is an important component of human existence. It has the power to change the listener's mood and evoke emotions. This is a reflection of human love for the beauty of rhythm. To fully appreciate the beauty of music, the lyrics and rhythm must be in harmony with the listener's emotions. This research analyzes the moral meaning of BTS's "Tomorrow & Whalen 52". The approach of data collection adopted is observation, while the technique utilized involves listening and recording the outcomes of the analysis. In analyzing the data, data was taken from lyric quotes in the songs. The aim of this study was to explore the ethical implications of a particular song, and the researcher used qualitative methods for data collection. The data obtained will be analyzed using Charles Sanders Peirce's semiotic theory. Some of the moral messages the writer found in the songs "Tomorrow" and "Whalien 52", include the importance of perseverance, self-love, and self-disclosure with others. In writing this article, the writer hopes to achieve theoretical, academic, and practical significance for the writer and readers in at least three ways: personally, academically (literature), and practically (people in general). Personally, this article can provide insight from a literary perspective, especially regarding the meaning of morals, which we hope will be useful for other people.

Motivation from Joseph Ratzinger’s Eschatological Realism for Protecting Humanity’s Future

Abstract This article outlines one way in which Joseph Ratzinger’s eschatology could contribute to reducing the risk humanity now creates to its own survival. Studies of ‘Existential Risk’ warn that hazards arising from Artificial Intelligence, Nuclear Weapons, Climate Change, and Engineered Pathogens require mitigation to safeguard the future of the human race from a calamitous end. Preventative measures, however, entail sacrifice, and there is no shortage of resistance to regulation of behaviours and technological development. Ethics of empathy, utility, and duties reach breaking point when stretched to overcome the temporal and moral gap between present agency and future well-being. This article proposes that Ratzinger’s theology of history and commitment to eschatological realism offers an intertwined double benefit: his warning about the danger of conflating hope in God’s Kingdom with hope in a future world humanity could perfect for itself opens up the uniquely rich ground of a trans-historical hope in Jesus Christ, in which an impactful relationship of love for humanity’s future can put down roots today.

The Concept of Preaching the Gospel According to Paul in the Book of Romans 5:8-11

This article aims to reaffirm the belief in the concept of Gospel proclamation as taught by Paul, especially in the book of Romans 5:8-11, as a motivator for Christians to remain obedient in carrying out the mandate of Gospel proclamation despite the many challenges they face. To address the purpose of this writing, a literature study approach is used, combining exegetical study of the text of Romans 5:8-11. The concept of Gospel proclamation according to Paul is obtained as follows: First: Gospel proclamation is an absolute idea of God in His love; second is the content of Gospel proclamation is about the death of Christ for the redemption of human sins; third is Gospel proclamation is intended for all humanity; fourth is the reward for welcoming the Gospel news is the assurance of justification and eternal life; and fifth is rejection of the Gospel news is making oneself an enemy of God. The theological implications are, first, the motivation for Gospel proclamation is based solely on God's love for humanity; second is the motivation for Gospel proclamation is based on believers' love for God; and third is the motivation for Gospel proclamation is based on believers' love for others.

Konsep Meningkatkan Taqwa dalam Implementasi Kehidupan Perspektif Hamka dalam Tafsir Al-Azhar

Abstract: The implementation of piety is a form of faith to improve the characteristics of people who are devout in life. According to the Qur'an, taqwa is a person's personality towards Allah and this piety makes him submit and obey religious teachings by carrying out all commands and avoiding all prohibitions of Allah SWT. The aim of this research is to find out how to achieve devotion based on the perspective of Hamka's interpretation of Al-Azhar. The research uses qualitative methods with the type of library research with the Al-Azhar book as the main source, reinforced with secondary sources such as books, scientific works and related journals. The results of this research conclude that according to Buya Hamka, taqwa is not only limited to protecting oneself from the punishment of Allah SWT, but has a broader meaning, namely the spirit of worship, increasing pious deeds to be closer to Allah and spreading love and caring for fellow humans. In its implementation, piety is divided into 2 aspects, namely habluminallah and hablumminnas, namely maintaining a relationship with Allah, a devout servant must always carry out His commands and avoid His prohibitions and in maintaining relationships with other humans, a devout servant will spread a sense of compassion and affection. caring for others.

Human Love, Humanism, and the Philosophical Thoughts of Kazi Nazrul Islam

Kazi Nazrul Islam, a seminal figure in Bengali philosophy and literature, epitomized humanism, individual freedom, and rational contemplation. His works, imbued with themes of rebellion against injustice, sectarianism, and oppression, reflect a deep love for humanity and a commitment to truth. Nazrul's poetry and prose transcend religious and social divides, advocating for Hindu-Muslim unity and condemning religious fanaticism and hypocrisy. His literature, rooted in personal hardship and diverse life experiences, serves as a beacon for justice and equality. Even today, Nazrul's legacy inspires resistance against oppression and promotes the ideals of human love and harmony.

The God who is Love and the Life of Humans

The Gospel of John claims that in this work, in its presentation of the story of Jesus’ ministry and death, there is the ultimate revelation of God’s nature. Jesus’ death “for the life of the world” is seen as an expression of God’s ultimate love. Less clear, however, is how this interpretation affects the human relationships, community ethos, and social action of Jesus’ followers in the world. Does the Johannine worldview lead to sectarian separation from the world, or does it encourage active involvement in social action? What are the images and patterns that shape the practical lives of the children of the loving God? And how can the idea of God’s love inspire human love for others and reconciling activity in the church and in the wider context of the world? The article addresses these questions from an exegetical perspective and finally places them within the horizon of global theology.

The Recovery of the Natural Desire for Salvation:

Dynamic Theodicy (DT) is a broad concept we bring up to designate some modern Philosophical Theology attempts to reconcile the necessary and perfect existence of God with the contingent characteristics of human life. In this paper we analyze such approaches and discuss how they have become incomprehensible because the metaphysical assumptions implicit in these explanations have lost their intrinsic relation to the natural human desire for salvation. In the first part we show Charles Hartshorne's DT-model, arising from the modal logic of perfection, and the modern rational problems of this position in making infinite-necessary Being (God) and finite-contingent being (human) compatible. We note that at the heart of the contradictions in this DT account is a dialectical mode of thinking that makes it difficult to find a correct solution to this dichotomy, and to assume a human desire that could be considered related to lifelong goals. In the second part, supported by the proposal of Hans Urs von Balthasar's DT, we develop the concepts of bodily vulnerability, corporeal intentionality, and natural desire for salvation, which come from an Aristotelian-Thomistic thought. This theory is established in order to build an argument, following Alasdair MacIntyre’s ethical framework, on how to make possible the recovery of a metaphysical and anthropological desire that transcends natural aging and goes beyond death. We conclude that both human dependence and the virtues that arise naturally when human beings decide to seek the good of their transcendent condition, make it possible to recover the natural desire for salvation through divine and human love.

Two concepts of virtue: Rousseau on love of fatherland and love of humanity

AbstractRousseau's conception of virtue is puzzling, for he sometimes defines virtue as self‐mastery and sometimes as patriotism. The prevailing Kantian interpretation emphasizes the first definition with its man‐citizen thesis, while attributing the latter to Rousseau's inconsistency. This article challenges this reading and argues that Rousseau intentionally operates with two conceptions of virtue: political virtue as love of fatherland and moral virtue as love of humanity. While the former relies on a state‐level amour‐propre that draws motivation from the division between nations, the latter hinges on conscience—an intelligent form of amour de soi—that reaches universal humanity. Underlying the two virtues is the irreconcilable tension between nature and politics. Where nature demands universal happiness incorporating all humans, politics necessitates passions that entail division. Retrieving Rousseau's dual conception of virtue highlights Rousseau's fundamental pessimism toward human politics, which has been blurred in the emerging Kantian‐liberal scholarship.

Joseph Fletcher on Agapeic Love: An Evaluation

Joseph Fletcher offers a Christian Situation Ethics when he affirms that belief in God and belief in God’s agape’ as the central value of ethics cannot be proven by natural reasoning but can only be held by a free action, chosen by the believer. He interprets 1 John, chapter 4: 16, especially v. 19: “We love because he first loved us,” as establishing that humans only know agapeic love because they have first known and believed in God’s agapeic love as revealed in the greatest love in the actions and teachings of Jesus. However, Bernard Haring a Catholic, 20th century German moral theologian, disagrees with that interpretation, noting that both Augustine and Aquinas hold that although God’s creative love is first in the order of being, it is not first in the order of learning. They hold that humans first experience generous human love amongst humans before they even accept that God’s creative love is first in the order of being. Also, even Karl Barth, the great Swiss Calvinist theologian, has a remarkably positive affirmation of human eros. Barth invents a new term ‘humanity’ in order to recognize the being of humans as “free, radically open, willing, spontaneous, joyful, cheerful and gregarious.” This paper will build upon the positive analysis by Augustine and Aquinas of generous human love as first in the order of learning and upon the positive evaluation of human ‘eros’ and ‘humanity’ as suggested by Barth by developing three main divisions: (1) The paper will draw upon C.S. Lewis’s distinction between need-love and gift-love and evaluate both Fletcher and Lewis himself as offering an inadequate conceptualization of human love as always tainted by need-love. (2) The paper will draw upon the moral philosophies of Aristotle and John Dewey who offer us a most positive evaluation of human love as transcending selfishness in their focus upon a person’s self-actualization in something greater than the self. (3) Finally, the paper will draw upon the reflections of the theologian Gregory Baum who was influenced by the French thinker Maurice Blondel. Blondel and Baum, then, offer a different grasp of humanity and God than the extrinsicist theology offered by Joseph Fletcher and C. S. Lewis in which God swoops in upon human nature to save humans from their sins with the Gift-love from above. Following the lead of Blondel, Baum develops an “intrincisist” grasp of human striving, not as: that of the intellect seeking deeper truth; it is, according to Blondel, the dynamics of the will seeking ever greater self-realization through continued action. It is there, in their willing, that God is present to human beings, and it is in their actions that they say Yes to the divine presence.

‘Let Us Just Be Humans’: Reading Allard Pierson’s True Humanity through the Lens of Caputo’s Religion without Religion

The Dutch intellectual Allard Pierson (1831–1896) is often considered to be an example of secularism. In 1865, he resigned as a minister from the Dutch Reformed Church in order to promote true humanity in society at large. This article explores how Pierson’s true humanity can be considered as an ultimate concern (Tillich) or a religion without religion (Caputo) by reading him through the lens of John D. Caputo’s thinking. Both Caputo and Tillich developed a non-institutional and undogmatic understanding of religion, in which religion is related to a universal human love, passion, or ultimate concern that is not necessarily linked to a religious institution or doctrine. After an elaboration of Caputo’s religion without religion, the article discusses Pierson’s thinking in the context of nineteenth-century theological modernism and debates on the modernist’s right to stay in the church. Then, Pierson’s reasons for his resignation and his true humanity are examined. It becomes clear that Pierson did not choose secularism over religion, but rather surpassed the religious-secular divide by a focus on our common human nature. Being human was more important than being Christian, which exemplifies the late-nineteenth-century move from a theistic Christianity towards a humanistic religiosity or humanism.

The Impact of Anna Terruwe on the Work of Conrad Baars

In his autobiography Doctor of the Heart, Conrad Baars (1996) recounted his desire to leave the profession of psychiatry until he discovered the Dutch neuropsychiatrist Anna Terruwe through her writings on Thomistic rational psychology in conceptualizing, treating, and preventing neurosis. He immediately began a partnership with her that continued until his death in 1981. Baars (1982) acknowledged that before discovering Terruwe's work, he did not believe he was “getting anywhere in bringing about true healing” (p. 347). He named Terruwe the discoverer of deprivation neuroses and attributed to her their treatment models for several types of repressive neurosis (Baars, 1959, 1960). An exploration of the legacy of Baars therefore benefits from understanding Terruwe's collaboration with him and her contributions to psychiatry grounded in her philosophical and theological understanding of the human person (Baars, 1981). This article introduces Terruwe, her relationship to Baars, and her theories of neurosis and affirmation that Terruwe and Baars applied to their treatment of individuals, married people, consecrated religious, and priests. Because affirmation is a concept of Terruwe's that Baars widely promoted in the United States and with which he is often associated today, this article offers a detailed summary of her book The Abode of Love in which she formulates the concept of affirmation through a reflection on the meaning, operation, and significance of human love as fundamental for happiness in general, in marriage, and in the priesthood (Ware, 1970).

“You Know No Rules of Charity”: A Corpus Analysis of ‘Love’ in William Shakespeare’s Richard III Using Voyant Tools

This essay conducts a corpus analysis of ‘love’ in Shakespeare’s Richard III using Voyant Tools, a free web-based application for analyzing digital texts. While Voyant Tools have been used in Shakespeare classes for educational purposes, it is hard to find any books or journal essays that incorporate the online program in Shakespeare drama research. It is hoped that the paper serves as an example that suggests academic potential of using digital tools in drama text analysis. Although Richard III is rarely discussed with reference to ‘love,’ the high frequency of the word in the text confirms its thematic importance in the play. My analysis of the corpus data makes the following discoveries. First, ‘love’ in Richard III has a broad spectrum of meaning ranging from erotic and familial love to loyalty and self-love. Second, the majority of references to ‘love’ come from or concern Richard and his chief assistant Buckingham, both of whom use the word for purposes of deception. Third, the type of love that is absent from all characters, including antagonist Richmond and those who display sincere love for their family or monarch, is ‘charity,’ the highest form of love modeled on God’s unconditional love for humanity. From these observations, it can be concluded that Shakespeare explores the broad spectrum of human love in order to satirize the absence of charity from the powerful figures that inhabit the world of Richard III as well as to expose the limitations and vulnerability of human love. If Richard III is a play of ‘love,’ as the corpus data suggests, it is not a critique of the title character but of the lack of charity in the world he was born into.

The Faith Dimension of Traditional Chinese Culture and Its Contemporary Significance

Abstract This article aims to illustrate that one fundamental reason why the Chinese civilization has remained strong and resilient for over five thousand years and why it has even become stronger in recent times, despite facing numerous challenges. This is due to the strong cultural beliefs embedded in the traditional Chinese culture. Through analysis, synthesis, and comparison, this article aims to demonstrate that, unlike Western religious beliefs, the faith embodied in Chinese traditional culture is a typical humanistic faith, including the Chinese people’s beliefs in nature, ancestors, “Tian and Di” (Heaven and Earth), and in the moral nature of human beings. It is precisely this humanistic faith that binds the Chinese nation tightly together. We believe that, in the face of the great challenges and opportunities brought about by the unprecedented transformation of the century, it is especially important for us to continue and develop this dimension of faith. Moreover, this dimension of faith can also provide us with survival wisdom for sustainable development, enabling us to transcend the narrow, individualistic mindset, embrace a broader vision of the world, and realize a universal human love that transcends race and region.

Reflections on Human Subjectivity in Modern Society—Based on the Perspectives of Baudrillard, Lacan and Fromm

The problem of human subjectivity is prominent in modern society. By revealing the mechanism of consumption alienation in the symbolic society, Baudrillard critiques this mechanism for causing the loss of human subjectivity and the subsequent surge in human desire. Examining unresolved issues about desire and subjectivity within Baudrillard's "Consumer Society" theory through the framework of Lacan's theory of the subject of desire, we will demonstrate that Lacan's interpretation effectively eliminates the problem itself. From Baudrillard's "consumer society" to Lacan's "desire society," people have changed from pure passivity to active awareness of their situation but still do not have enough subjective initiative. On the contrary, Fromm’s humanitarian ethics reflects on the problem of subjectivity from the perspective of holistic man rather than symbol, affirming that the inner power of human love and reason will lead man to transcend the general alienation of man so as to realize one's potential productively with joy and happiness as "being" rather than "thing." Only in Fromm's "productive society" will human subjectivity cease to be an issue.

김수환 추기경의 관점에서 바라본 가톨릭 의료윤리

This paper examines on the fundamental principles of healthcare activities from the perspective of Cardinal Kim Soo-Hwan. The values propagated in a material-centric society generate a culture that disregards the sanctity of human life, which could adversely affect medical practices dedicated to human life. According to Cardinal Kim Soo-Hwan, healthcare serves life in a holistic dimension. To actualize this, he reads the Signs of the Times and, with critical reflection, presents three fundamental principles of medical activities: human dignity, respect for human life, and love for neighbors(humanity). In the field of healthcare, his focus is on humanity, and the foundation of his healthcare ethics is encapsulated in the love of Christ. Furthermore, the love of Christ is realized on a holistic level, grounded in a correct understanding of the human being as a unity of soul and body. Cardinal Kim Soo-Hwan integrates love for humanity with respect for human dignity and life. He also presents a path for the community formed by healthcare professionals and patients to embody human values.

Tėvų vaidmuo ir statusas Romos Katalikų Bažnyčios teologijoje po visuotinio Vatikano II Susirinkimo

In the article we analyse the approach to the family, fatherhood and motherhood presented in Roman Catholic theology. We analyse the period after the Second Vatican Council, and discuss the new opportunities for theological knowledge and analysis, in order to see how a unified approach to man and the family, and how the creation of a relationship with God is developed through the family. We analyse how, by understanding who a person is, we can find answers to questions of the meaning of life, as well as the discovery of the perfection of parenthood. We ask how the question of God and religious knowledge can serve to spread human love in the family.

Lalon: A Non Sectarian Man and Reformer in Philosophy

This paper focuses on the personal life of the remarkable non-Sectarian philosopher, reformer, and musician Fakir Lalon Sah, who opposes caste, class, gender, and all forms of socioeconomic hierarchy as well as identity politics based on race and nationality. He rejected the notion of class, patriarchy, religion, nation, “path” (hierarchies and the partition of social space that determines who is allowed to accept food and water from whom), and “Jat” (caste). This article reveals spiritualism, mysticism, and human love as a non sectarian man and reformer in his Philosophy. Additionally, this study is a remarkable display of Fakir Lalon’s incredible abilities. Nearly all of his songs, which have a very subtle and concealed significance that lingers with philosophic thinking, showcase his powerful talents.

Alı Şır Nevaı’nın “Hazayınü’l-ma’anı” dıvanı şırlerının umumı alfabettık dızımlı el yazmaları hususunda

The content of Ali Şir Nevai's Khazā'in al-ma'ānī, as written in its preface, consists of Badāyi' al-bidaya' and Nawādir al-nihaya' divans and poems. After Ali Şir Nevai passed away in 1501, it was aimed to collect the lyrical legacy of the poet as a whole composition in a book in his memory. The general alphabetical syntax of the poems in the Khazā'in al-ma'ānī divans is inscribed in miniature. It will be beneficial for the poet's lyrical heritage to be used in the preparation of his next scientific publications. It is clear that Khazā'in al-ma'ānī is one of the rare sources that conveys Ali Şir Nevai's poems as a whole composition to future generations. The result of our research is the digital copy of the cover of the aforementioned divan and 22 pages, created in miniature, which were sourced from the site of the Windsor Castle Library, where the manuscript was found. One of the manuscripts used for this article is the Khazā'in al-ma'ānī poems, which is estimated to be the oldest copy in a complete alphabet system. The British Royal Collection catalogue, which contains the promotional information of the work, has been obtained. The manuscript comprises twelve miniatures, four of which were seriously damaged. The miniatures, which were handwritten in the 16th century, were repainted in 1605 in India (Mughal court). Another copy of the poems Khazā'in al-ma'ānī from the 16th century, copied in the complete alphabet system, is preserved in the collection of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences Institute of Oriental Studies named Abu Reyhan Biruni (H.S. 7580). One of the important aspects of this writing is that the author's poems are cited according to meaning groups. This means that the theme of love sung in the poet's ghazals can be understood in the sense of both divine and human love.